


Tattoo

by AussieWriter1



Category: The Blacklist
Genre: F/M, Gen, slightly lizzington
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-12
Updated: 2014-02-12
Packaged: 2018-01-12 02:20:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1180758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AussieWriter1/pseuds/AussieWriter1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I've had this one stirring for a while, but thanks to a prompt on tumblr, I thought it was about high time I shared. Liz sees one of Red's tattoos and questions him about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tattoo

**Author's Note:**

> New one-shot! Hope you like it!
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I am not affiliated with The Blacklist in any way, shape, or form. Nor do I own any character present in this work.

Liz stepped up to the curb, gazing at the run-down house before her. Staring down at the phone in her hand, she triple-checked the address. Yep, this is where Red had messaged her to meet. Sighing, Liz moved towards the entrance, slipping her phone away and making a mental note to comment on the criminal’s newest choice of residence.

After knocking only a few times, the crooked door swung open, revealing Dembe. Liz smiled and walked in, having always liked Red’s mostly silent bodyguard. Gesturing with his hand, Dembe indicated a door a few paces down the corridor on the right. Nodding her thanks, Liz waited for the sturdy man to retreat into another room before moving forward.

Taking a deep breath, Liz briefly wondered if she should knock. She quickly decided against it - it had been Red after all who invited her to discuss the next Blacklister. Pushing open the old, rotting door with her wrist, Liz felt her greeting dying in her throat.

There stood Reddington, facing towards the window and away from her. Thanks to the not-too-shabby lighting, and the fact that he hadn’t yet put on a shirt, Liz was clearly able to make out the ink shining dully on Red’s right shoulder, a spot of darkness on the stretching white blanket. Taking a minute step forward, she could decipher the dark lines as those depicting a bubble wand with a new bubble forming around the rim.

Liz stood stock still, surprise and curiosity both simultaneously overcoming her senses and thoroughly rooting her to the spot. Unconsciously, Liz’s eyes burn holes into Red’s still bare back, wondering what the ink could possibly mean. 

Suddenly, a deep, heartfelt chuckle ripped Liz from her stunned state. 

“You should know that it’s not good form to stare, Lizzy.”

Jumping slightly, and slowly feeling her face turning a deep shade of crimson, Liz briefly noted that she should have observed her reflection next to Red’s in the window. Smiling sheepishly, Liz quickly began to apologise, stumbling over her words.

“Sorry, I-I didn’t mean to-“

Throwing on his pure white undershirt, Red spun on his heels and waved away Liz’s half-completed apology.

“Never apologise my dear. I am aware of how attractive I am, and the effect it has on equally attractive women.” As he spoke, Red moved closer towards Liz, stopping directly in front of her.

Liz’s mind, which was still in a shocked, trance-like state, didn’t even register the criminal’s words. Instead, it simply chose to instruct her eyes to continue their staring match with Red’s chest. After a few moments, Red spoke again, clearly enjoying Liz’s ongoing stare.

“See something you like?” Red teased.

Not phased by Red’s question, Liz’s mouth finally chose to function. After all, she was used to Red’s passing remarks by now.

“No, it’s just … I was wondering about your tattoo.”

Liz felt her eyes widen slightly as Red’s face darkened considerably. She had seen the horrible actions he had performed when his eyes became stormy, like they were now. Beginning to regret the intrusive question, Liz was about to apologise, about to say that she had no right asking about something personal like that, when Red surprised her by answering in his own poetic way.

“It’s a reminder of time gone by, of what I’ve lost, and what I continue to fight for.” Red’s voice had stepped down a few octaves, sending chills down the profiler’s spine.

“And what’s that?”

“Family.” Red’s voice was a whisper in a winter storm. “My family.”

Liz quickly found herself entranced, with brown eyes searching green, and something in her desperately waiting for him to shout ‘April Fools!’. When nothing but silence filled the room, Liz felt surprise mixed with sadness grip her heart. Still caught in a daze, Liz watched as her right hand reached out towards Red, as if yearning to touch his cheek.

Just before her hand made contact, Liz remembered herself. Shaking herself mentally, Liz began retracting her hand. However, before she could pull back, Red’s left arm shot out and captured her hand in his strong grip. Slowly raising his arm, Red brought Liz’s arm back to his face, gently pressing her skin to his.

Watching Number Four on the Most Wanted List close his eyes in content surprised Liz more than anything else that had previously transpired between them. Without her permission, Liz’s body once again betrayed her as she felt words seeping through her lips.

“Am I your family?”

Opening his eyes, Red gazed at Liz with a familiar yet foreign expression caressing his features. Twisting his lips into a small smile, Red removed Liz’s hand from his cheek. Still continuing to hold on, Red spoke in a slightly lighter and, dare she say it, flirty tone.

“Maybe one day.” Red winked, prompting Liz to scoff and roll her eyes, a smile quickly slipping onto her features. Chuckling, Red continued.

“So, shall we get down to business?”

Nodding, Liz felt herself phase out slightly as Red began to elaborate on the next target, a pair of brothers that apparently specialised in computer hacking and blackmail. Despite attempting to focus on his words, Liz found her concentration being constantly stolen by Red’s thumb slowly rubbing the back of her hand. 

Just as she was wondering if he had even noticed that he was moving that particular appendage, Red abruptly stopped speaking.

“Liz?”

“Mm?”

Clearly Liz’s response, or lack thereof, must have amused Red, as he let out a bark of genuine laughter. 

“I’ll simply get Dembe to email you the particulars, shall I?”

Embarrassed, Liz nodded, before slowly excusing herself. As she slipped from the small, bare room, Liz could have sworn she saw Red close his eyes and briefly touch his cheek.

As she stood once again on the curb, Liz found multiple questions racing through her mind, all begging for her immediate attention. The two most prominent forced their way to the forefront of the chaos: Why would he answer her now, especially after carefully dodging all previous personal questions? What did that mean for their progressing friendship?

Liz shook her head as she headed towards her car. Raymond Reddington was a mystery wrapped in an enigma squeezed into an immaculate suit and tie. One that she was eventually going to unravel. If she ever managed to keep a steady head around him, that is.

**Author's Note:**

> END. Hope you enjoyed it! Yeah, so that little "maybe one day" was in reference to a possible future marriage between these two. *goes and hides* ... Anyway, kudos if you noticed that little Doctor Who reference at the end ;)


End file.
